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Voter Registration

Voter Registration
Absentee Ballot Information

Downloads

Absentee Ballot Application

Absentee Ballot Application by a Family Member

Note: All Forms are in PDF Format. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these forms.
<A NAME="vote">
How to Register to Vote 

Who may register?

	Only a person who is a US citizen, and a resident of Massachusetts, and 18 years old on or before election day.

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How can I register to vote?

	By Mail: Mail-in registration forms are widely available. To obtain a mail-in registration form please call 617-727-2828 or 1-800-462-VOTE and a form will be sent to you. Mail the completed form to:

Registrar of Voters
6 Main St
Stockbridge, MA 01262

	You should receive a confirmation notice in 2 to 3 weeks. If you do not, please contact your local election office to verify your voting status.

	In Person: Go to any registration location and complete an affidavit of registration, which must be answered truthfully under the penalty of perjury. The questions on the affidavit will include your name, residence and date of birth.

	At the Registry of Motor Vehicles: Keep your motor voter receipt until you receive confirmation from your local election official. If you do not receive any confirmation, please contact your local election office to verify your voting status.

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When and where may I register?

	There is no waiting period to be eligible to register to vote. If you move, you may register to vote as soon as you move into your new home.

	You may register to vote in person or by mail, by completing a mail-in registration form and delivering it to your city or town election office, or at any local election office in any city or town in the state and at any registration event you encounter anywhere in Massachusetts, or when applying for or renewing your driver's license at the Registry of Motor Vehicles or when applying for service at a designated voter registration agency.

	Registration forms are also available at all colleges, universities, high schools and vocational schools.

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What must I do if I've changed my address since I registered?

	If you have moved within the same city or town, notify your local election office of your new address in writing. If you have moved to a new city or town, you must register again.

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Are there deadlines for registration?

	Yes. In order to vote you must be registered:

		20 days before all primaries and elections, and/or 
		10 days before a special town meeting. 

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What should I do if I registered to vote and I have not heard from my local election official?

	If you have NOT received confirmation of your voter status from your city or town election official within 2 or 3 weeks from the date you registered please contact your local election office to verify your voting status. 
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How to Apply for an Absentee Ballot

I can't get to the polls on election day. Can I vote?

	Yes. You may vote by absentee ballot if you: 

		will be absent from your city or town on election day, and/or 
		have a physical disability that prevents your voting at the polling place, and/or 
		cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs. 

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How can I apply for an absentee ballot?

	Apply in writing to your city or town clerk or election commission and include your:

		name, 
		address as registered, 
		ward and precinct (if you know them), 
		address where you wish the absentee ballot sent, 
		in a primary, the party ballot you want, and 
		your signature.

	There is an application form available at your local election office or by downloading one from this page. You may also make application by letter or note. Whichever method you choose, the application must be made in writing and signed.

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Can anyone else apply for an absentee ballot for me?

	Yes. A family member may apply for you.

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When should I submit my application for an absentee ballot?

	If you wish to vote by absentee ballot for more than one election in a year you may make one application and request that ballots for all elections during that calendar year be sent to you.

	If you vote by mail, make certain the application arrives at your local election office early. Remember, the ballot will be mailed to you. You may mail or hand-deliver it back to the election office but it must arrive before the close of the polls on election day (8:00 p.m. for state elections).

	If you cast your ballot at the clerk's office before election day, plan to visit the office two or three weeks before the election. You can make your application and cast your vote in one visit.

	Call the clerk's office to make certain that the absentee ballots are available. Absentee ballots should be available three weeks before an election.

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How do I vote by absentee ballot?

	You may vote at the clerk's office or request that the ballot be mailed to you. The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is noon of the day before the election.

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Must I be a registered voter in order to vote by absentee ballot?

	Yes, unless you are a "specially qualified voter". A specially qualified voter is a person:

		who is otherwise eligible to register as a voter and
		whose present domicile is outside the United States and whose last domicile in the United States was Massachusetts or whose present domicile is Massachusetts and who is:

	(a) absent from the city or town or residence and in the active service of the armed forces or in the merchant marine of the United States or a spouse or dependent of such person; 

	(b) absent from the commonwealth; or 

	(c) confined in a correctional facility or a jail. 

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Must my ballot be witnessed?

	No.

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What if I'm not able to mark my absentee ballot?

	You may ask any person to help you. The helper must print his or her name and your name on the brown envelope, write the reason you needed help and then sign his or her name as the assisting person.

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Are polling places accessible to elderly and disabled voters?

	Yes. Federal law required polling places be accessible by 1986.

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I'm permanently disabled. May I vote at home?

	Yes. You must apply to your local election office to do so. File a letter from your doctor with the town or city clerk or election commission. The doctor must state that you are permanently unable to cast your ballot at the polling place due to a physical disability.

	The local election official will automatically mail you an application for an absentee ballot for all elections in a calendar year. You must sign the application and send it back to your local election official.

	Call your local election official for information about how to register to vote at home or to request that a mail-in registration form be sent to you.

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My parent is in a nursing home. Is she/he able to vote by absentee ballot?

	Yes, as long as that individual is not under a court ordered guardianship which specifically prohibits voting.

	Any patient in a nursing home must be a registered voter in order to vote by absentee ballot and must fill out an absentee ballot application.

	If the clerk designates a health care facility in writing 28 days before the election, the ballot must be hand-delivered to such facility by a Registrar. If the patient states that he/she has entered a hospital after noon of the fifth day before the election, the ballot may be hand-delivered to the voter; otherwise, the ballot should be mailed to the voter at the facility.

	Consult the administration of the nursing home for further instructions. 	

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